Geocaching 101: Getting Started with Profile & App

Whenever we describe our hobby of geocaching to people we get asked the same question, ‘How Do You Get Started Geocaching?’ So we decided to put together a few beginner steps to help curious adventure seekers get out of the house and start discovering geocaches around the world! The best way to get started with Geocaching is to set up a FREE profile and download the Geocaching Appto your SmartPhone. If you don’t have a SmartPhone, you can just use a Garmin (GPS unit)without the app.

First things first, you will need to create a Geocaching profile. It’s easy to get started. To set up a profile go to Geocaching.com to register for free. The website makes it easy to set yourself up, and provides basic information to help get you started and become familiarized with your new hobby. You will need to come up with a fun Geocaching Nickname. Think of something that you like, because this will be your new name in the geocaching world! For example, we don’t get called Liz and Josh as much as we get called Peanuts or Pretzels among geocachers.

Once you get this part set up, browse around the website to get familiar with it. Your profile will be set up just like all social media sites out there. Once you get you have registered, then you are ready to start geocaching! The way Liz and I started geocaching was with our SmartPhone. We first got the (FREE) Geocaching app and found a couple of easy caches to see if we enjoyed it. And we loved it!

Finally after years of developing and testing, the guys at Geocaching HQ has come up with an app that does everything. No more official paid geocaching app and no more geocaching intro app. This new geocaching app is for all levels of cachers. If you are a beginner, then you will find short videos explaining all the different types of caches out there to be found. In our opinion this is the only app you will need to go geocaching. It will help guide you along the process of learning all about this amazing fun filled game that you can play in over 185 countries all around the world.

[vc_video link=’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_5tdlU-ngI’]

Optional Geocaching Premium Membership ($30 per year)

If you become a geocaching enthusiast, then you may be interested in becoming a full fledged Geocaching Premium Member for a yearly fee of $30. We became members several months after becoming more familiarized with Geocaching and the community. Once you have become a member, a whole new series of caches open up to you because some caches are made available to members only. We have found that members only caches are more cleverly hidden and, honestly, more fun to discover. In the future, Geocaching may begin to cater more to its Premium Members by allowing certain Member Only activities. For example, Geocaching just recently released news about its Lab Caches; a certain type of geocache that is only open for Member Only caching. In our opinion it is well worth the $30 per year.

3 Comments

Cache on Wheels
on February 1, 2014 at 10:21 am

Thank you for producing this interesting and useful post. I have shared this post and hope it will help a lot of new cachers and non PM ones to learn the benefits of having the Paid App and becoming a PM too.
For a while I could not see a free App and can now I see the intro one.
It’s interesting that in the intro App, there has been a new update in Jan 2014 that says that if you’re near your selected cache, a friendly alert pops up to let you know. I haven’t noticed this feature on the paid app I have. Have I missed this?
If not, will it be available on the paid app?
Many thanks
Heather aka Cache on Wheels

Thanks for commenting Heather. Sorry for my late response. I have noticed this function in the Intro App. I am not sure why there is a difference. We like to think that as you get more experienced with caching you start to know what signs to look for when out caching. That’s our take on why there isn’t this option in the paid app. Maybe there can be an update to the app to at least have this feature as an option. I do know that some GPS units have a chirp option on the unit to announce when you arrive within a few feet of the cache.

Hi Josh
Many thanks for your reply which explains very well your thoughts 🙂

After discussing with some other cachers we had some thoughts ..
Our 10 yr old son said
Having this feature on the PM App “is a great idea and would be really helpful for me and other children, especially some who may have learning difficulties or disabilities”.

My husband and I are both PMs and both have the paid App too.

I would think, not knowing any stats, that some who are new to caching do buy the paid App without using the free one first. We definitely recommend to people to get the paid App, so this feature would definitely be useful on the paid App in my thinking.

It would be interesting to know how many cachers find this feature useful on the free intro App and if any have mentioned it not being there on the paid App.

If you were able to explore the PosAbility of an update to include this feature, it would be great. A couple of thoughts a friend pointed out though was:
1- would this increase battery useage?
2- would one have the option to turn this feature on and off for those who do not want to use it?